Shannon and Eric were a really fun honeymoon couple to work with as they wanted a honeymoon on the somewhat adventurous side, and slightly off the beaten path. They were also basically open to anywhere in the world. After much back and forth, they decided on Portugal which was really fun to plan! They wanted to rent a car and do and see everything the country had to offer, which is exactly what they did.
Beginning in Lisbon, which turned out to be their favorite city, they stayed at the beautiful Bairro Alto Hotel, a LHW property.  They loved the hotel’s rooftop deck, and the nightlife in the Bairro Alto neighborhood. From the bride: “We loved the hotel in Lisbon.  The rooms are smaller, but well appointed and in the BEST location.”

We also booked them a city tour through the hotel that ended up being one of their favorite memories from the trip, and two of the restaurants they ate at in Lisbon were favorites as well; Bonjardim; “best chicken you will ever have” and Cantina.

(Bairro Alto Hotel)

(View from hotel terrace)

(Amenity waiting for them in Lisbon)

From Lisbon they drove to Porto, in the north part of the country, and famous for being home to the great Port wineries. They had heard about the many pousadas around Portugal, which is a boutique hotel chain of historic monuments renovated into small hotels, embodying the architecture and history of the area they are in.  In Porto, we booked them at the Pousada Palacio de Freixo, which is in a restored 18th century palace. They loved exploring this beautiful city, and of course all of the great wine tastings!

From Porto, they were on to the Douro Valley (another wine region), and a beautiful SLH hotel called the Aquapura Douro Valley.  Here, we were able to get them highly upgraded to the Panoramic Suite, which in their words, was “heavenly.” They also adored the staff at this hotel who went so above and beyond to ensure their stay was amazing.  They chose to spend their time in the Douro relaxing, hitting the spa, and eating and drinking, which, after all, is what a honeymoon is all about!  They especially enjoyed DOC restaurant here, situated right on the Douro River, a sleek modern restaurant with beautiful terrace, great wine pairings, and amazing chef, Rui Paula.

After leaving the Douro Valley, they were on to Evora, a town known for still being partially enclosed in it’s medieval walls, and named a Unesco World Heritage Site.  Here they enjoyed all of the sightseeing the town has to offer, a great restaurant called O’Fialho, and their hotel, outside of town; the very unique L’And Hotel and Vineyards, also an SLH property with great modern architecture.  They loved the hip hotel’s outdoor fireplace for relaxing with a glass of wine, and their signature restaurant as well.

(One of their favorite culinary stops along the trip)

(L’And Vineyards Resort)

From here, it was onto the Algarve!  Known as one of the most popular European seaside getaways, this region is a string of beach towns, all bringing their own character to a lively, warm and sunny coast!  Here they stayed in the town of Portimao, at the Bela Vista resort.  Right on the water, the hotel was funky and unique, and they loved how easily they were able to get to the other towns in the area.  Lagos was a high point of this part of the trip, especially the famous caves, which they toured by boat!

(The Lagos Caves)

(View from their room at the Bela Vista Resort)

From the Algarve, it was time to head back towards Lisbon to fly out, with stops in Sintra and  Cascais for a few nights along the way.  About Sintra, the bride says it is “not to miss.  so many amazing sites, like nothing I have seen before, and does not feel super touristy at all  .  The bus system is great and takes you all around.”

Cascais, known as a great spot for golfers, was a “vibrant, cute town with many great beaches, and the town encourages bicycles as the main mode of transportation, which was fun.”  There they stayed at the Oitavos Hotel, a sleek and elegant property, all of the rooms’ private balconies overlooking the ocean or golf course.

(Sintra’s Pena Palace)

After two weeks away, covering so many beautiful towns and sites in a gorgeous country, it was time to head home as husband and wife.  I loved planning this trip for them and although some of our team at Life:Styled has had the opportunity to go, personally, Portugal has definitely moved to the top of my travel list!